Far Cry 3 - Xbox 360

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Summary:

Far Cry 3 takes you away from the role of a gung-ho super soldier, and into the shoes of everyday man Jason Brody - who just happens to be partying on the wrong island at the wrong time. His vacation quickly turns into a horrifying adventure, as he tries to rescue his friends from a guerrilla army, led by unstable and dangerous leader Vaas. Jason will need to grow up pretty fast as he is forced to kill, hunt and survive the harsh elements of Rook Island. The open world around you allows for a huge variety of different play situations. Radio towers need sabotaging in order to uncover parts of the map, while Vaas' many outposts litter the island and need to be put out of action. There is the necessity to survive on your own, using a combination of wits and island resources.

8.0

The FarCry series is an interesting one and probably one of the most unique game series' known to the modern gaming world. The series has fantastic storylines that involve the main character going insane due to some disease or drug. The player must uncover what's going on while trying not to lose his mind.

FarCry 3 begins with the main character, Jason Brody, hanging out with his friends on Rook island. They drink, they party, they skydive, etc., and have a fantastic time of it. Jason doesn't wake up next to his semi-hammered/hung over friends, though. He wakes up in chains with no way out, no idea how he got there, and no clue where his friends are. Being captured by pirates isn't something this California kid in his twenties is used to dealing with on a daily basis, so he has a lot of growing up to do and fast.

While FarCry 3 is considered to be more or less a shooter rather than an RPG, it really has more in common with an RPG. The game is set on an island that the player can roam around however he pleases for as long as he pleases. There are main story quests and side quests to attempt if the player is in need of some extra experience or money. The side quests aren't too important and aren't as extensive as some of the side quests in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for instance, but some extra experience never hurt anyone.

Many games these days are focused solely around the development of the story line. FarCry 3, however, is not only based around the story but around the character, Jason. Jason changes a lot as the story goes forward. He goes from being an incredibly terrified young man to, with a little help from the tribes who inhabit the isalnd where the action takes place, a hardened assassin who gets high on drugs, which make for hallucinations in game. Jason, whose sole want and need was to rescue his friends and leave the island immediately, becomes distant from the very same friends, probably due to the home-made drugs he has been getting high on.

Another thing that makes the game very similar to an RPG is the need to craft. While crafting may not be as important in standard RPGs, it is incredibly vital in this game. Being on an island, all of the things the player could need can be, in fact have to be, created from whatever grows or happens to be lying around in the various locations ranging from mountains to swamp, sandy beaches to jungle. There are things from animal skins, to native plants that can be used as a source of healing for medicine or even drugs.

FarCry 3 is one of those rare, genre-bending games that engages the player and takes him into a world unlike the one he normally lives in.